Intensity Plots Research Articles

Marine heat waves and tropical cyclones - Two devastating types of coastal hazard in South-eastern Africa

The coast of southeastern Africa is the only part of the continent to experience landfalling tropical cyclones (TCs), the most destructive and hazardous of weather systems. It is also a region which frequently experiences long-lasting marine heat waves (MHWs). Three coastal regions in southeastern Africa with high biodiversity and relatively large populations dependent on local coral reefs and artisanal fishing are analysed in terms of the characteristics of TCs and MHWs. Significantly increasing trends in MHW duration and frequency, TC heat potential and coral bleaching events are found during austral summer in all three coastal areas, with northeastern Madagascar experiencing the highest rate. The co-occurrence of TCs and MHWs in each region is also considered using a parameter-space plot of MHW intensity versus TC wind speed. A high percentage of pre-existing MHWs help strengthen TCs as they pass over the MHW region but an even higher percentage of the TCs tend to weaken or end MHWs after they both co-occur. Of the three coastal zones considered, northeastern Madagascar is more prone to landfalling severe cyclones and long-lasting MHWs. It is suggested that as the TC approaches the MHW region, the rapid increase in surface wind friction velocity, intense heat loss to the atmosphere and entrainment cooling are all important processes that determine the rate at which the MHW weakens towards its demise. TC-MHWs co-occurring together may be considered a compound extreme event. The magnitude of their impacts on the southeast African coast in recent decades highlights the need for increased monitoring and improved real-time forecasting of these devastating coastal hazards.

Spectroscopic, NBO, DFT, and TD-DFT investigation of 7-(Dimethylamino)-4-(Trifluoromethyl)Coumarin (C152)

In different solvents, the electronic UV-Vis absorption and emission spectra of 7-(Dimethylamino)-4-(Trifluoromethyl)Coumarin (C152) were monitored. For the C152 molecular structure, the impact of solvent polarity on fluorescence quantum yield is explored. What is more, the critical micelle concentration (cmc) magnitude was calculable employing a plot of fluorescence intensity against cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate concentrations (SDS). What is more, the photostability of the C152 model structure exploitation utterly varied solvents like acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, and amyl alcohol in terms of approach for calculating half-life methodology (pumping with nitrogen laser 337.1 nm), yet because of the range of pulses needed to cut back the studied molecule intensity to 50% of its original value. The B3LYP/6-311G(d) level of theory was wont to optimize the C152 molecular structure. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis is additionally wont to explore the electronic hyperconjugation of the C152 modeling structure. B3LYP/6-311G++(d, p) is employed to get NBO studies for the molecule under investigation. The computational electronic UV-Vis absorption spectra of the C152 molecule were computed exploitation time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311G++(d, p) level in gas and several other solvents. Theoretical findings were contrasted with experimental findings. The results reveal that the computational optical characteristics of the investigated molecular structure accord with the experimental findings.

18.55% Efficiency Polymer Solar Cells Based on a Small Molecule Acceptor with Alkylthienyl Outer Side Chains and a Low-Cost Polymer Donor PTQ10

18.55% Efficiency Polymer Solar Cells Based on a Small Molecule Acceptor with Alkylthienyl Outer Side Chains and a Low-Cost Polymer Donor PTQ10

Microfluidics Temperature Compensating and Monitoring Based on Liquid Metal Heat Transfer.

Microfluidic devices offer excellent heat transfer, enabling the biochemical reactions to be more efficient. However, the precision of temperature sensing and control of microfluids is limited by the size effect. Here in this work, the relationship between the microfluids and the glass substrate of a typical microfluidic device is investigated. With an intelligent structure design and liquid metal, we demonstrated that a millimeter-scale industrial temperature sensor could be utilized for temperature sensing of micro-scale fluids. We proposed a heat transfer model based on this design, where the local correlations between the macro-scale temperature sensor and the micro-scale fluids were investigated. As a demonstration, a set of temperature-sensitive nucleic acid amplification tests were taken to show the precision of temperature control for micro-scale reagents. Comparations of theoretical and experimental data further verify the effectiveness of our heat transfer model. With the presented compensation approach, the slight fluorescent intensity changes caused by isothermal amplification polymerase chain reaction (PCR) temperature could be distinguished. For instance, the probability distribution plots of fluorescent intensity are significant from each other, even if the amplification temperature has a difference of 1 °C. Thus, this method may serve as a universal approach for micro–macro interface sensing and is helpful beyond microfluidic applications.

Subtle Ligand Spacer Change in 2D Metal-Organic Framework Sheets for Dual Turn-On/Turn-Off Sensing of Acetylacetone and Turn-On Sensing of Water in Organic Solvents.

Metal-organic framework (MOF)-based sensors for the detection of various analyte molecules has been a subject of absolute importance. However, most of these sensors rely on the turn-off (quenching) transduction response, while those reporting turn-on response are very rare. In this article, we have synthesized two new MOF-based sensors, {[Zn2(oxdz)2(tpbn)]·14H2O}n (1) and {[Zn2(oxdz)2(tpxn)]·10H2O·2C2H5OH}n (2), via the self-assembly of Zn(II) metal ions, a fluorogenic oxdz2- linker, and bis(tridentate) ligands (tpbn and tpxn) under ambient conditions. Their formation from such a self-assembly process has been evaluated on the basis of the geometry around the five-coordinated Zn(II), preferential meridional binding of the bis(tridentate) ligands, and diverse binding of the carboxylate groups in oxdz2-. Although 1 and 2 are isostructural, a difference in the transduction mechanism for the sensing of acetylacetone in organic solvents (turn-on for 1 and turn-off for 2) is observed and can be attributed to the spacer in the bis(tridentate) ligands. We have demonstrated the competing effect of the nonradiative interactions and photoinduced electron transfer toward the sensing mechanism. The results are well-supported by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study, intensity versus concentration plots, spectral overlap measurements, time-resolved fluorescence studies, and MM2 and density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, we have showcased the utilization of 1 for the sensing of trace amounts of water in organic solvents.

Aeromagnetic data processing using MATLAB

This study focuses on the evaluation of magnetic field variation in a two-dimensional plot in form of a contour map by carrying out interpolation on the magnetic field data and mapping regional structures to infer the direction of dykes. To pinpoint areas of magnetic highs and lows, MATLAB program was used to delineate magnetic field trends on the data. The program was also used to produce graphical, colourized and contoured plots of data from XYZ files (data with random locations) using interpolation functions. The program was used for both gridding and smoothening of the magnetic field data and also allow the setting of contour values and utilization of vivid colour scales. The aeromagnetic data vector may contain outliers which are due to instrumental error and data extraction during field data collection. These outliers were removed and replaced using three interpolation methods including linear, nearest-neighbour and cubic spline to have a non-distorted representation plot and they were also used to fit surfaces to the gridded data. The result shows that the piecewise cubic spline interpolant contour plot has finer precision with higher details at the output edges. From the piecewise linear surface B(X,Y), where X is normalized by mean 2.235e+05 and standard deviation of 3.202e+04 and Y is normalized by mean 7.809e+05 and standard deviation of 551. The residual magnetic intensity plot shows the magnetic field range between -200 nT for magnetic low and 200 nT for magnetic high. However, the use of MATLAB is not to displace Oasis Montaj geosoftware but to give more scientific meaning to the automation of the filtering techniques used in Oasis.

Effects of Thinning Intensity on Forest Floor and Soil Biochemical Properties in an Aleppo Pine Plantation after 13 Years: Quantity but Also Quality Matters

In order to quantify the impacts of silvicultural treatments in semiarid forests, it is necessary to know how they affect key aboveground processes and also properties characterizing the forest floor and mineral soil compartments. The general objective of this work is to study the mid-term effects of thinning intensity on forest floor and soil properties after 13 years following the intervention. The experimental design consisted of a randomized block design with four thinning treatments (3 thinning intensity plots plus a control or unmanaged plot) and three blocks or replicates. Several determinations, such as total organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, or basal respiration, were performed for characterizing forest floor and mineral soil by considering three random sampling points per experimental plot. Thirteen years after thinning, total organic content, the different organic carbon fractions studied, and basal respiration were higher in the forest floor of the unmanaged plot. These results, however, were contrasted to those obtained for the mineral soil, where significant differences between the treatments were only observed in basal respiration and C/N ratio, while the different organic carbon fractions were not affected by thinning intensity. Our results suggest better soil quality where biological activity is enhanced as a consequence of improved environmental conditions and also litterfall input. The latter is especially important in forests with tree leaves of low biodegradability, where new understorey species promoted by thinning can provide higher nutrient availability for the remaining trees and, therefore, better forest resilience.

A novel method for quantitative evaluation of motor evoked potential monitoring during cerebrovascular surgeries

Transcranial motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring, intended to assess cerebral cortical ischemia, may produce false negative results when the stimulation inadvertently activates the deep, subcortical motor pathways. This study examined hand MEP onset latency as a potential means to differentiate superficial versus deep stimulus penetration in surgical patients monitored for cerebral ischemia.Intraoperative MEP data were prospectively collected from 40 patients treated for intracranial aneurysm or carotid stenosis. Onset latencies of hand MEP responses were measured over a range of stimulation intensities from both the contralateral and ipsilateral hand (crossover responses). At the threshold for superficial, cortical stimulation of the contralateral hand, the MEP latency was 26.9 ± 0.4 ms. MEP onset latencies measurements became shorter as stimulation intensities were increased. At the maximum intensity (when crossover response was usually generated), the contralateral hand MEP latency of 22.5 ± 0.3 ms was significantly shorter than at threshold stimulation (p < 0.001). Latency-stimulus intensity plots best fit a 3 parameter hyperbolic decay function (r2 = 0.85 ± 0.02) and revealed a narrow window of acceptable MEP stimuli to obtain superficial cortical activation. Our analysis refutes the utility of the crossover response in reliably gauging depth of activation. Additionally, we found that differentiation between long and short MEP onset latency times may serve as a dependable marker for depth of stimulation. Attention to hand MEP onset latency may reduce inadvertent stimulation of the deep corticospinal tract pathways and avoid false negative MEP recordings during cerebrovascular surgeries.

Energy Performance Modeling of a Sugar Manufacturing Industry

Effective energy monitoring, reporting, and management strategies for wise energy usage is one of the objectives of Energy Management. Numerous researches have highlighted the extremely good profits of imposing business and industrial energy management measures. Notably, a number of those research display that extra financial savings may be found out in growing international locations. Unfortunately, industries in developing countries like Nigeria are lagging behind in the adoption of energy management measures and as such missing the benefits of implementation. This research study sets out to evaluate the energy consumption performance in manufacturing industry in order to showcase the gains of energy management in manufacturing industry. Data on weekly energy consumption (in MW) and weekly production of sugar (in Bags, 50kg/bag) were obtained from a sugar manufacturing company in southwestern Nigeria. Energy management data analysis and modeling was done using linear regression plot of energy consumption against production; energy intensity plot and cumulative sum of difference (CUSUM) plot respectively. The energy performance model was obtained from the linear regression plot and two parameters namely incremental energy consumed per bag (per kg) of sugar produced and “no-production” energy consumption are the performance measures. The model showed that the incremental energy consumed per bag (or per kg) is 0.00008 MW/Bag or 80W/Bag or 1600W/kg while the no-production energy consumption is 211.73 MW. Results also reveals that the no-production activities consumed energy more when compared with the actual energy used for production. CUSUM identified five periods when energy consumption gave higher and increased production thereby showing that CUSUM charts are more effective in detecting changes in energy consumption. The research study has shown how energy management data analysis can be helpful in taking decision that will enhance increased production and reduction of no-production energy consumption activities.&#x0D; Keywords: Energy management, CUSUM, Performance model, Energy, No-production energy consumption

Comparison of Tongue Characteristics Classified According to Ultrasonographic Features Using a K-Means Clustering Algorithm.

The precise correlations among tongue function and characteristics remain unknown, and no previous studies have attempted machine learning-based classification of tongue ultrasonography findings. This cross-sectional observational study aimed to investigate relationships among tongue characteristics and function by classifying ultrasound images of the tongue using a K-means clustering algorithm. During 2017–2018, 236 healthy older participants (mean age 70.8 ± 5.4 years) were enrolled. The optimal number of clusters determined by the elbow method was 3. After analysis of tongue thickness and echo intensity plots, tongues were classified into three groups. One-way ANOVA was used to compare tongue function, tongue pressure, and oral diadochokinesis for /ta/ and /ka/ in each group. There were significant differences in all tongue functions among the three groups. The worst function was observed in patients with the lowest values for tongue thickness and echo intensity (tongue pressure [P = 0.023], /ta/ [P = 0.007], and /ka/ [P = 0.038]). Our results indicate that ultrasonographic classification of tongue characteristics using K-means clustering may aid clinicians in selecting the appropriate treatment strategy. Indeed, ultrasonography is advantageous in that it provides real-time imaging that is non-invasive, which can improve patient follow-up both in the clinic and at home.

ГЕОДИНАМІКА

The purpose of the research is to substantiate the theoretical prerequisites for the interpretation of the geophysical method of the Earth's natural pulsed electromagnetic field (ENPEMF). The justification will be performed by quantifying the stress state of the rock massif, modeling of the obtained analytical dependencies for disturbed massifs. The basis for the interpretation is the coordination of the obtained distributions of intensity with the intensity of the electromagnetic field. The initial data are classical formulas of theoretical mechanics, modified to the conditions of the geological structure of the object of research and long-term research by the method of ENPEMF at the object – Kalush-Golynsky potassium salt deposit in the Pre-Carpathian. The research methodology included the development and presentation of models of the stress-strain state of the mining area, followed by the calculation of specific distributions of stress and analysis of their relationship with the dynamics of ENPEMF for specific areas of regime observations. The results of the research are given in the following sequence: 1) an example of calculating model stresses; 2) practical results of ENPEMF; 3) comparison of theoretical model calculations and real observations' data. Examples of calculations are given for a rock massif including a rectangular-shaped mining operation located in a salt formation. The distribution of stresses is calculated for the 2D model, taking into account the actual physical parameters. The series of graphs shows the change in tension both along the profile and with depth. The model is complicated for a variant of two chambers located at different depths. Observation of ENPEMF is demonstrated for a complex section of rocks. Actual plots of the field intensity with a high degree of correlation correspond to the calculated plots at a certain depth. The complication of the section and the presence of different stages of the postoperative period, which is reflected in the regime observations, leads to the deviation of the form of the graphs from the "ideal-model", but at the qualitative level this form corresponds to the theoretical one. The novelty lies in the development of the principles of quantitative assessment of the stress-strain state of the disturbed rock mass as the basis for the theoretical assessment of the distribution of the natural pulsed electromagnetic field of the Earth. In particular, the identity of the results of practical geophysical observations and computational models of the stress-strain state is demonstrated. The results obtained should be considered as a contribution to the theoretical basis of the quantitative interpretation principles of the geophysical method of ENPEMF. At the same time, the ways of further research for the full implementation of this research area are indicated.

Weld acoustic emission inspection of structural elements embedded in concrete.

After a catastrophic failure of the weld of the anchoring element of one cable in a stayed bridge, a non-destructive inspection was required to evaluate the weld condition of the 111 remaining anchoring elements to prevent future and similar failures. This examination was quite complicated since the anchoring elements are partially embedded in the reinforced concrete tower, and the weld is fully integrated into the concrete. Considering that direct access to the weld was not possible, acoustic emissions (AE) were a feasible alternative for these inspections. This study describes the inspection method, from laboratory tests simulating actual conditions for calibration to field tests for the method's tuning and evaluation. The AE inspection results are presented, and welds' condition is classified according to the acoustic energy, measured through a severity index and graded from a zonal intensity plot. Two structural elements were selected for concrete demolition to expose the weld for penetrant and ultrasonic inspections to correlate measurements of the actual condition of the welds and their defect size. Because of the analysis, welds are identified for immediate repair and the rest for AE monitoring to evaluate defect evolution through the increase of the severity index.

Ultrafast multi-photon excitation of ScVO4:Bi3+ for luminescence thermometry.

We demonstrate a multi-photon excitation (MPE) scheme for luminescence thermometry using ScVO4:Bi3+. MPE is performed using a 37 fs Ti:sapphire laser pulse centered at 800 nm. Log-log plots of the phosphorescence intensity versus excitation power show that the 800 nm MPE of ScVO4:Bi3+ involves a 2- and 3-photon absorption process in comparison with a single-photon excitation (SPE) process at 266 and 400 nm. Spectroscopic investigation shows that with the 800 nm MPE and 266 nm SPE schemes, the emission spectra of ScVO4:Bi3+ are similarly characterized by emissions of the VO4 3- groups and Bi3+. MPE is advantageous to suppress fluorescence that interferes with the phosphorescence signal. We demonstrate this aspect for a ScVO4:Bi3+ coating applied on an alumina substrate. The luminescence lifetime is calibrated with temperature in the range of 294-334 K; the MPE scheme has an equally impressive temperature sensitivity (3.4-1.7%/K) and precision (0.2-0.7 K) compared with the SPE schemes. The MPE scheme can be applied to a variety of phosphors and is valuable for precise temperature measurements, even in applications where isolating interfering background emissions is challenging.

Rosaniline Hydrochloride Encapsulated MCM-48: Fluorescent and Electrochemical Sensor for Dopamine.

The dye Rosaniline hydrochloride (RANH) has been successfully incorporated in MCM-48 (designated as RANH@MCM-48) and characterized by various spectroscopic methods including FT-IR, SEM, EDX and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm. RANH@MCM-48 in aqueous medium acts as fluorescence "on" sensor for neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) in presence of its main biological interfering agent ascorbic acid or vitamin c (AA) along with Glucose, Cholesterol and Uric acid (UA). The limits of detection (LOD) were found to be 65nM and 51nM respectively in absence and in presence of AA. The interaction of DA to RANH@MCM-48 is found to be reversible with respect to EDTA2-. The fluorescence intensity vs. pH plot shows a narrow fluorescence window of 7.2 to 8.8. RANH@MCM-48 has been successfully applied for DA detection in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACF) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) with LOD values 27nM and 22.5nM respectively. Platinum disc electrode has been modified with RANH@MCM-48 which showed distinct oxidation peaks with a separation of 0.188V in cyclic voltammetry (CV). The LOD for DA in presence of AA determined from oxidation current is 77.5nM. The voltammetric detection of DA is found to be free from common interfering species Na+, K+, Ca2+, Fe2+, UA, Cholesterol and Glucose. RANH@MCM-48 has been found to be a very effective fluorescence and voltammetric sensor for DA with very low LOD.

BODIPY-based fluorescent probe for selective detection of HSA in urine

Quantitative recognition of human serum albumin (HSA) is of great importance in the fields of biology and biomedicine. In biological fluids, HSA has been used as an important biomarker for disease early diagnosis. For example, microalbuminuria has been regarded as an early indicator of diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, it is of great significance to monitor HSA in urine. In this work, a BODIPY-based fluorescence probe, BDY-OH, was constructed for HSA detection, which showed a high signal to noise ratio and high selectivity. In addition, plot of fluorescence intensity exhibited a 90-fold enhancement and a good linear correlation from 0 mg/mL to 0.4 mg/mL. Encouraged by the outstanding properties, the ability of BDY-OH to distinguish proteinuria from normal urine was tested among 39 clinical urine samples and the excellent recognition rate of 89.7% suggested a great significance for the early diagnosis of kidney related diseases. We look forward to using the BDY-OH method as a new tool for preclinical diagnosis of HSA in urine in the future.

The critical role of mobile phase pH in the performance of oligonucleotide ion-pair liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods.

The critical role of mobile phase pH in the performance of oligonucleotide ion-pair liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods.

Precise Detection and Visualization of Cyclooxygenase-2 for Golgi Imaging by a Light-Up Aggregation-Induced Emission-Based Probe

Precise Detection and Visualization of Cyclooxygenase-2 for Golgi Imaging by a Light-Up Aggregation-Induced Emission-Based Probe

Spectroscopic investigation, DFT and TD-DFT calculations of 7-(Diethylamino) Coumarin (C466)

The UV-Vis electronic absorption and excited-emission spectra of the 7-(Diethylamino) Coumarin were monitored experimentally in different solvents. The effect of solvent polarity on fluorescence quantum yield for C466 molecular structure is studied. Also, the critical micelle concentration (cmc) value calculated from the plot of the fluorescence intensity varies the concentrations of the cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). In addition to, the photostability of the studied molecular structure in different solvents such as acetone, methylisobutylketone and amyl alcohol in terms of half-life method (utilizing nitrogen laser 337.1 nm in pumping), as the number of pulses necessary to reduce the studied molecule intensity to 50% of its original value.The C466 molecular structurewas optimized using B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. The computational electronic UV-Visabsorption spectra of the C466 compound, in gas and various solvents, were calculated using time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) at B3LYP/ 6-311G++(2d, 2p) level. The obtained theoretical results were compared to experimental ones. The results show that, the computational optical properties of the studied molecular structureis in agreement with experimental results.

캔테나를 이용한 아두이노기반 FMCW 레이다 시스템 설계

In this study, the design of a low-cost frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system at C-band using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components is presented. The proposed radar system consists of low-cost surface-mounting devices and monolithic ICs on a multi-layer FR4 PCB for system integrity. The Tx/Rx antennas (Cantennas) were fabricated with commercial cans based on waveguide dominant mode analysis. The proposed radar system is connected to the Arduino UNO platform, which transfers the received analog backscattered RF signal to MATLAB to display a range versus time intensity (RTI) plot. The designed radar has a maximum detection range of 56.3 m.

Experimental Investigation on Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Reinforced Concrete Beam Strengthened with CFRP

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures are generally subjected to increasing loads, age-related deterioration and design changes that affect the integrity of structures. Therefore, this paper presents an experimental investigation of a carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) reinforced RC beam under three-point loading. Acoustic emission (AE) was used to monitor the progression of damage. The loading, AE intensity and AE signal strength were analysed and discussed. The analyses were performed using the AE signal collected from CH6 and CH7. The result is that crack nucleation produces high signal intensity compared to other crack modes. Moreover, the intensity plots fit the identified crack modes when the beams were reinforced with CFRP. Therefore, AE can be used to evaluate the performance of the CFRP reinforced RC beam.